Many species of Ladybugs are predators of pest insects so are beneficial to our gardens. Both adult and larval forms will feed on some of the following: aphids, scale, mealy bugs, spider mites, white flies and eggs of the Colorado Potato Beetle and European Corn Borer.
How to release your Ladybugs
Water your garden before releasing the beetles. They will need a little moisture.
Release the Ladybugs after sundown since they do not fly at night. They will have all night to settle in and find food and water. If you release them during the day, they will immediately fly away.
Shake them out of the cup in groups at the base of the plants that have aphids. Ladybugs always crawl up!
Release one third of them the first night, another one third two nights later and the rest two nights after that. Refrigerate in between. You can also choose to do lots of small releases over a period of 2 to 3 weeks.
How to store your Ladybugs
Always keep the ladybugs out of direct sunlight and as cool as possible.
They may be refrigerated in a regular refrigerator (35-40 degrees) for 2 to 3 weeks. They hibernate at 35-40 degrees.
If not refrigerated, the ladybugs will need a little water. Spray them once every one to three days, depending on the temperature. Two or three shots of a fine mist is about right. You want to moisten the wood shavings but not allow puddles at the bottom of the cups. Release them as described above.
THANK YOU for choosing environmentally friendly pest management.
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